Maria Theresa Alves

Almost There appears to be the goal that those who have had to leave their fa- milies and wander the world looking for work and a livelihood have as soon as they have come within grasping distance of material prosperity. Where Alves’ father, as an immigrant, had himself photographed in front of New York’s limousines in order to send the snapshot home, nowadays it is the expensive brand-name mobile phone lying on the bar, or nestling playfully in the hand of its owner, that lends status and prestige as well as a noticeable connection to a level of affluence that might otherwise be unattainable. The snapshot of her father in front of the limousine was the trigger for Alves’ work— consisting of a soundtrack and a reproduction of the image — in which she reflects on the social perception of status symbols and the hopes of a better future embodied by luxury objects.